10 years
by mermaidbyheart
Summary: 10 years later the girls meet again and are about to realize how much their lives had changed to the point of no return...


**Chapter 1**

It was almost 22h when the door of bar "Sherry" opened and a brown-haired woman went inside. She was tan-skinned and pretty good looking. Looking around the place she spotted the certain blond woman she was here to see, sitting alone on one of the tables. Her hair was shorter, but still straight and she was looking beautiful. The brunette walked to her table and sat on the chair next to her. They looked at each other for a few seconds then embraced themselves in a hug.  
- It's so good to see you again, Emma! - Cleo said, giving her a small smile.  
- And it's so good to see you too! - Emma smiled to her in response.  
But they both felt something was different. Something had happened with both of them. They weren't those teenage girls anymore, but were now grown women and something in the relationship between them had changed. They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, before the blonde asked:  
- So...how are the things between you and Lewis?  
- We broke up five years ago.  
- Oh, I'm so sorry, I had no idea.  
- No worries about that. I'm over him. We're only friends now.  
- Actually - the blonde started - I invited him too. I hope you don't mind.  
- No, not at all, it's cool. And what about Ash? - the brunette said, but Emma felt Cleo got a little tense.  
- He proposed. - she smiled and showed her hand with the ring to Cleo.  
- Wow, that's amazing, congratulations! - the brunette smiled.  
Another few moments of awkward silence followed, but were interrupted when the door opened and another woman walked inside. She was light blond and when Cleo and Emma turned to look at her direction their jaws dropped. Her hair was no longer curly, but straight and looked so beautiful on her face. She was with a black coat, jeans in the same color and a white shirt. She looked more beautiful than ever, though there was some strange sadness and darkness in her crystal blue eyes. Spotting the two women sitting not too far from her, she rushed to their direction.  
- I'm sorry I'm late. - was the only thing she said before sitting down next to the brunette.  
- What have you done to your hair? - Cleo asked.  
- Why? Don't you like it? - Rikki bit her.  
- Are you kidding me, I love it! It's just...I've used to see you with your beautiful mess of curls, and...  
- What are you two drinking? - Rikki interrupted her.  
- I'm drinking coffee. - Emma replied.  
- And I'm drinking alcohol-free beer. - Cleo added.  
- Ok. - Rikki nodded and turned to tell the waiter that walked towards them: - A small whiskey, please. Clean. - and she turned to face her friends again.  
Emma and Cleo shared a worried look, but Rikki noticed it.  
- What? - she blurted out. - I just need a drink.  
- If you say so. - Cleo shrugged and Emma just gave her a look.  
- So what were you two talking about when I walked in? - Rikki asked them, changing the topic.  
- We were talking about Lewis. - Emma said.  
Rikki almost dropped the glass of whiskey she had just taken from the waiter.  
- What about Lewis? - she asked as if it wasn't a big deal.  
- Cleo told me they'd broken up five years ago and I apologized for inviting him too tonight.  
Rikki's eyes shot open.  
- You what?! - she hissed at Emma who like Cleo looked confused.  
- I invited him tonight. He was our friend too after all. - Emma said.  
- "Was" being the key word here. - Rikki said, taking a sip from her drink.  
Soon they found another more interesting topic that included stuff like shopping and they all forgot the beginning of their conversation.  
Just then the door opened again. He entered the bar and his eyes found the three women he wanted to see. Two of them were chatting with smiles on their faces, but the third one was silent. Her hand was playing with her hair and she was staring somewhere into the empty space. The sunshine in her eyes was replaced of darkness and all that life he was used to see in her had disappeared, making her become a shadow of her old self. His heart fell, knowing the fault of all that was only his. He walked to them, and somewhere in his heart there was the slightest shade of hope she had forgotten what happened between them five years ago, although he knew it was impossible. When he walked to their table the two girls that were chatting with smiles, greeted him cheerfully, but she only gave him a killing look, and when he sat next to her and the others he felt how tense she was. He looked straight at her eyes, but she ignored his look taking another sip of her drink.  
- What are you drinking? - he asked the three girls, breaking the awkward silence.  
- I'm drinking coffee, Cleo alcohol-free beer and Rikki's drinking clean whiskey.  
- Whiskey? - he raised his eyebrows. - I've never believed I'll ever see a woman drink whiskey.  
Rikki put down her glass with a little too loud thud and stood up.  
- I'm sorry, but I've got to go. - she said to Cleo and Emma without paying attention to Lewis.  
And she hurried out of the bar.  
- What the hell got into her? - Emma asked and Cleo only shrugged.  
- Maybe I should go after her and make her come back?! - Lewis said and hurried out of the door without waiting for their answer.  
He saw Rikki crossing the street and ran after her. When he reached her, he caught her arm with his, but she just pulled it out of his grip like he was contagious or something.  
- Go away! - she hissed at him.  
- Rikki, please listen to me. - he begged her.  
She turned to continue on her way when he caught her arm again, but she pushed him away.  
- Don't you dare to touch me ever again! - she yelled at his face and walked away.  
He stood there watching after her and whispered something into the night. The two words just hanged into the cold air Rikki never hearing them.  
"_I'm sorry_"...


End file.
